Black Sails of the Old Empire

Confound this lingering cold.

6

JUN/12

Time is running out! Kal and I are in need of getting the Kracken Bastard’s illegal cargo off the ship asap. The imperial inspection will be at the dock in a matter of hours. We’ve decided to move it to our 2nd ship, the White Whale, to buy time such as it is is docked at the most southern docks in the slum district of Sigh.

Piecing together some city rumors and with some ideas of our own, we have a plan to get the cargo past 4 checkpoints that will surely take note of us moving a caravan of crates.

Checkpoint 1: Kal will pose as an exotic trader, and I his guard, with certain goods required by an Imperial lieutenant and his current mistress.

Checkpoint 2: Our caravan is moving much needed weapons to the Imperial garrison.

Checkpoint 3: We have gathered a hodge podge of ship crew and former slaves to stand in as the new Imperial Marching band for the purpose of distraction.

Checkpoint 4: We have sent Fang ahead to keep an eye on things and will figure it out on the fly!

Our plan finally devised, we ready the goods and head down the dock. However, before we reach the end of the dock, we see a most peculiar event. Another ship’s crew is unceremoniously tossing an enclosed barrel off into the ocean with muffled sounds coming from within. Sharing a confused look with Kal and a shrug, I dive in after this barrel and get it back up on the dock. Through a peephole we soon realize a person has been stuffed inside and coughing up sea water. Prying open the lid, a shaken gnome emerges, clad in all kinds of armor and weaponry. He introduces himself as one Molgar, new to this city and having himself a tongue that gets him into trouble. Fresh out of work, we offer him a position in our cargo ruse if he follows our instructions and our lead. He fits in nicely as quite the exotic man servant from the Fey world, surely good entertainment for any well-to-do mistress.

We are able to bluff/maneuver/slip by the first 3 checkpoints with such effectiveness and guile that by the time we reach the 4th, our confidence is at an all-time high. We decide to have some fun with Molgar, and instruct him to approach the last checkpoint (filled with 5-6 guards) while yelling obscenities about Fang’s mother and sister. As expected Fang crashes into Molgar from his hidden location with such ferocity that every guard’s attention has been diverted! Before they decide to break up the brawl, I make the quick decision of stepping up and start rooting and betting on the our little gnome to pull off an upset win. The guards, always looking to deepen their pockets begin to take up these bets.

All the while Kal is tip toeing across the other side of the docks on his way to the White Whale. It is in this moment that I sense a guard beginning to look around, and in a fit of panic call out “Let’s make this fight a little more interesting!”, as I whip forward my staff and call upon the elements to soak through the dockboards and began pestering both Fang and Molgar in swirls of seawater. Instead of bolstering the betting, it unfortunately has the opposite effect as the guard captain is immediately wary that I am no common townsfolk. Swords are drawn as the guards begin to notice their surroundings again and Kal is caught mid tiptoe in a most suspicious way. Oops.

I have just enough time to spit out in Draconic to Fang about our ruse gone awry before blows are being thrown at us, and we are fighting for our lives and secrecy of our task. A guard or two begin to run away for reinforcements but Fang is always there to pounce on the poor souls and tear into them. The rest who stand their ground put up a decent fight, but let’s face it. The are fighting a dragonborn druid, a bullywug assassin, and a gnome weapon master. One by one they are cut down before Captain yields.

We pull away the bodies, get our cargo onboard the ship, and toss the captain into a jail cell down below. We form up a few of our crewmembers with the guard outfits and have them man the checkpoint until they are relieved. Our illicit cargo is safe for now, and the Imperials know none the better.